Acidity and Heartburn - Are My Diet & Lifestyle To Blame?

Too much of anything is a bad thing - is a sensible phrase best applicable to the feeling one gets after overeating, or consuming a high calorie meal with drinks.

How often do you find yourself taking an antacid after dinner or guzzling a teaspoon of Mylanta to prevent the belching and discomfort. If this happens frequently - i.e more than 2-3 times a week, it can be a sign of serious acid indigestion and should be discussed with a gastroenterologist or your primary care physician.

Acidity or heartburn are burning sensations in the chest or throat that might occur after a meal. Sometimes, you can taste the stomach fluids in the back of your mouth as they leak back or reflux into your esophagus and irritate it. This condition commonly called GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) can be easily controlled and reduced by making healthy changes to ones diet and lifestyle habits.

Anyone, including infants and children, can get this condition. If left untreated, it can lead to more serious health problems that might warrant medications or even surgery.

Symptoms of Heartburn & Acidity

An uncomfortable feeling behind the breastbone that seems to be moving upward from the stomach

A burning sensation in the back of your throat

A bitter, acid taste in your mouth

Bloating, gas or flatulence, nausea and vomiting during a bout of acidity

Eating large meals overloads the digestive system making food stay in the stomach longer. This in turn creates more acid which exacerbates the problem and the excess acid backs into your esophagus. More frequently eaten smaller meals are digested more easily.

What exactly triggers a bout of acidity?

Exercising after a meal

Lying down flat after a meal

Starting activities that need vigorous actions

Here are a list of things you can do to alleviate or reduce the symptoms of acidity and heartburn -

Sit up straight when eating - Do not slouch

Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly

Eat smaller portions- Six small meals a day are better than three large ones

Try not to drink during your meal- especially alcohol

Avoid spicy, fatty or acidic foods that trigger heartburn

Not eating close to bedtime

Losing weight if needed

Wearing loose-fitting clothes

Role of Diet Management: in controlling acidity & heartburnWhen it comes to treating acidity, there's no better medicine than food. Though there is a general list of foods that aggravate or alleviate acidity or heartburn,

Honey, dates, raisins, almonds & corn works as well by providing a symptomatic relief

Drink plenty of home made soups with green leafy vegetables like spinach, radish leaves, beet greens, spring onions; fenugreek (methi) leaves etc., which acts as a buffer in normalizing the pH of the blood

User Comments

I have observed a growing trend in s/w companies these days. Companies budget for and encourage team outings after work for people to bond and work on their relationships. This invariably means it begins after 9 and people have a couple of drinks followed by a high fat and spicy meal as group psychology prevails and even the health concious yield. Nobody wants to be left out. So we need to work on a different strategy to ensure that people with heart burn dont suffer.

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